on this page
- You and your partner only got CCS
- You get FTB and CCS, and you both don’t need to lodge a tax return
- You get FTB and CCS, and you both need to lodge a tax return
- You get FTB and CCS, and your partner needs to lodge a tax return but you don’t
- You get FTB and CCS, and you need to lodge a tax return but your partner doesn’t
- You want to claim FTB as a lump sum
If you get Family Tax Benefit (FTB) or Child Care Subsidy (CCS), we balance your payments after the financial year ends. The financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June.
Not everyone has to do the same thing for us to balance these payments. What you need to do depends on your situation. We’ve put together some common examples to help you understand what you need to do.
You and your partner only got CCS
There are things you and your partner need to do before we can balance your CCS payments. Here’s an example to help you understand what you need to do.
You and your partner need to confirm your income before we can balance your CCS. Income can be confirmed by either:
- you and your partner lodging a tax return with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
- you telling us if you or your partner don’t need to lodge a tax return, and confirming how much income you or your partner got for the financial year.
You can lodge your tax return with the ATO from July. It’s a good idea to wait until late-July for all your information to pre-fill in myTax. Otherwise, you may have to amend your tax return if you make a mistake.
You can check if your pre-filled information is available by searching ‘pre-fill availability’ on the ATO website from 1 July.
You can tell us if you don’t need to lodge a tax return, and confirm how much income you got, even if that amount is nil.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to do this.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.
If you got emergency payments during the financial year, some of these payments won’t pre-fill when you lodge your tax returns. They also won’t pre-fill if you need to tell us you and your partner don’t need to lodge. You must include the amounts you both got in your taxable income so we can balance your payments correctly. Find out more about payments that don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary.
You need to tell us your income even if your income was nil or you’ve already told the ATO you don’t need to lodge. We can’t balance your CCS until you tell us your income.
We need both your and your partner’s income confirmed before we can balance your payments.
If you separated from your partner during the financial year and they don’t need to lodge or you don’t know if they will be lodging, you need to let us know. You can tell us this by calling the Centrelink families line.
You need to confirm your family income by 30 June of the following financial year. Find out more about time limits for confirming your income for CCS.
We’ll start balancing your CCS from mid-August, once you confirm your family’s income and we have your child care attendance information.
Find out more about when we’ll balance your CCS.
You get FTB and CCS, and you both don’t need to lodge a tax return
There are things you and your partner need to do before we can balance your FTB and CCS payments. Here’s an example to help you understand what you need to do.
Your and your partner’s income needs to be confirmed before we can balance your payments. You can do this by telling us you both don’t need to lodge a tax return from July.
You only need to tell us once for both FTB and CCS. You don’t need to include FTB or CCS as income.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to do this.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.
If you or your partner got emergency payments during the financial year, some of these payments won’t pre-fill when you tell us you both don’t need to lodge. You must include the amounts you both got in your taxable incomes so we can balance your payments correctly. Find out more about payments that don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary.
If you got CCS, you need to tell us your and your partner’s income even if your incomes were nil. You need to tell us even if you’ve already told the ATO you don’t need to lodge. We can’t balance your CCS until you tell us.
You need to confirm your family income by 30 June of the following financial year.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We’ll balance your FTB once both of the following occur:
- you’re paid your final FTB payment for the financial year
- you’ve confirmed your family income.
We’ll start balancing your CCS from mid-August, once you confirm your family’s income and we have your child care attendance information.
Find out more about when we’ll balance your FTB and balance your CCS.
You get FTB and CCS, and you both need to lodge a tax return
There are things you and your partner need to do before we can balance your FTB and CCS payments. Here’s an example to help you understand what you need to do.
You and your partner need to confirm your income before we balance your FTB and balance your CCS. You can do this by lodging a tax return with the ATO from July.
Even though you can lodge your tax return from 1 July, it’s a good idea to wait until late-July for your information to pre-fill in myTax. Otherwise, you may have to amend your tax return if you make a mistake.
You can check if the pre-filled information is available by searching ‘pre-fill availability’ on the ATO website from 1 July.
If you and your partner got emergency payments during the financial year, some of these payments won’t pre-fill when you lodge your tax returns. You must include the amounts you both got in your taxable incomes so we can balance your payments correctly. Find out more about payments that don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary.
You can both lodge your tax returns online. Find out more about how to lodge online at the ATO website.
You need to confirm your family income by 30 June of the following financial year.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We’ll balance your FTB once both of the following occur:
- you’re paid your final FTB payment for the financial year
- the ATO sends us your and your partner’s income information, which can take up to 28 days from when you both get your notice of assessments.
We’ll start balancing your CCS from mid-August, once you confirm your family’s income and we have your child care attendance information.
Find out more about when we’ll balance your FTB and balance your CCS.
You get FTB and CCS, and your partner needs to lodge a tax return but you don’t
There are things you and your partner need to do before we can balance your FTB and CCS payments. Here’s an example to help you understand what you need to do.
You and your partner need to confirm your income before we can balance your FTB and balance your CCS.
Tell us you don’t need to lodge a tax return and confirm how much income you got. You can do this from July.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to do this.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.
You only need to tell us once for both FTB and CCS. You don’t need to include FTB or CCS as income.
If you got CCS, you need to tell us your income even if your income was nil or you’ve already told the ATO you don’t need to lodge. We can’t balance your CCS until you tell us your income.
We also need your partner’s income details. Your partner can lodge their tax return online. Find out more about how to lodge your tax return online at the ATO website.
Even though your partner can lodge their tax return from July with the ATO, it’s a good idea for them to wait until late-July for their information to pre-fill in myTax. Otherwise, they may have to amend their tax return if they make a mistake.
They can check if the pre-filled information is available by searching ‘pre-fill availability’ on the ATO website from 1 July.
Once they’ve lodged their tax return, they don’t need to do anything else. We’ll get the income information from the ATO.
If you or your partner got emergency payments during the financial year, some of these payments won’t pre-fill when lodging a tax return. They also won’t pre-fill when telling us you don’t need to lodge. You must include the amounts you both got in your taxable incomes so we can balance your payments correctly. Find out more about payments that don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary.
You need to confirm your family income by 30 June of the following financial year.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We’ll balance your FTB once all of the following occur:
- you’re paid your final FTB payment for the financial year
- you’ve confirmed your income
- the ATO sends us your partner’s income information, which can take up to 28 days from when they get their notice of assessment.
We’ll start balancing your CCS from mid-August, once you confirm your family’s income and we have your child care attendance information.
Find out more about when we’ll balance your FTB and balance your CCS.
You get FTB and CCS, and you need to lodge a tax return but your partner doesn’t
There are things you and your partner need to do before we can balance your FTB and CCS payments. Here’s an example to help you understand what you need to do.
Your and your partner’s income needs to be confirmed before we can balance your payments.
You can do this by lodging a tax return with the ATO from July.
Even though you can lodge your tax return from July, it’s a good idea to wait until late-July for your information to pre-fill in myTax. Otherwise, you may have to amend your tax return if you make a mistake.
You can check if the pre-filled information is available by searching ‘pre-fill availability’ on the ATO website from 1 July.
You can lodge your tax return online. Find out more about how to lodge your tax return online at the ATO website.
You can tell us if your partner doesn’t need to lodge a tax return, and confirm how much income they got, even if that amount is nil.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to do this.
You can also use the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.
If you or your partner got emergency payments during the financial year, some of these payments won’t pre-fill when lodging a tax return. They also won’t pre-fill when telling us you don’t need to lodge. You must include the amounts you both got in your taxable incomes so we can balance your payments correctly. Find out more about payments that don’t show on your Centrelink payment summary.
If you got CCS, you need to tell us your partner’s income even if their income was nil. You need to tell us even if they’ve already told the ATO they don’t need to lodge. We can’t balance your CCS until you tell us.
You need to confirm your family income by 30 June of the following financial year.
We balance FTB and CCS separately.
We’ll balance your FTB once all of the following occur:
- you’re paid your final FTB payment for the financial year
- you’ve confirmed your partner’s income
- the ATO sends us your income information, which can take up to 28 days from when you get your notice of assessment.
We’ll start balancing your CCS from mid-August, once you confirm your family’s income and we have your child care attendance information.
Find out more about when we’ll balance your FTB and balance your CCS.
You want to claim FTB as a lump sum
There are things you need to do before we can finalise your FTB lump sum claim. Here’s an example to help you understand what you need to do.
You need to submit a lump sum claim for FTB and confirm your family income. This is so we can check if you were eligible for FTB during the financial year. You can lodge a lump sum claim by using your Centrelink online account through myGov.
You need to confirm your family income before we can finalise your claim. You have until 30 June of the following financial year to submit a lump sum claim for FTB and either:
- lodge a tax return with the ATO
- tell us you don’t need to lodge a tax return, and confirm how much income you got when you claim.
Your partner will also need to lodge a tax return, or you’ll need to tell us they don’t need to lodge a tax return and confirm how much income they got when you claim.
If you need to lodge a tax return, you can do this online. Find out more about how to lodge online at the ATO website.
You can lodge your tax return from July with the ATO. It’s a good idea for you and your partner to wait until late-July for your information to pre-fill in myTax. Otherwise, you may have to amend your tax return if you make a mistake.
You can check if the pre-filled information is available by searching ‘pre-fill availability’ on the ATO website from 1 July.
If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now to do this.
If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account, you’ll need to create them.
When we complete your FTB claim, we’ll check if you’re eligible for any supplements. This includes:
If you were renting, we’ll also check if you can get Rent Assistance when you submit your FTB lump sum claim. To get this you may need to lodge a claim for FTB for the current financial year as well.
You can’t claim CCS as a lump sum.